Litter-carrier.



0. SLETTE.

LITTER CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY17, 1912.

1 ,065,976. Patented July 1,1913.

comamm' ILnnouuM-H C(LAVASVHING llllllllll v OLE SLET'IE, OF BARRETT, MINNESOTA.

LITTER-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1,1913.

Application filed July 1'7, 1912. Serial No. 709,950.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, OLE SLETTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Barrett, in the county of Grant and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Litter-Carriers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. My invention relates to that class of carriers commonly known as litter carriers, wherein a bucket is carried by a wheel equipped truck, arranged to run on an upwardly inclined overhead track. The bucket is usually pivoted to a yoke carried by the truck in a manner to cause the same to turn upside down from its filling position to a dumping position, under the action of gravity. Suitable latch mechanism is provided for holding the bucket in an upright posi-- tion and is arranged to be tripped, during the outward travel of the carrier, by an abutment on the track, located at a point where it is desired to dump the load from the carrier bucket. After the bucket of the ity, turns upside down and dumps the load.

After the load is dumped, the carrier usually engages a stop and, owing to the back incline of the track, the carrier is started back on its return trip.

My invention has for its especial objectto provide simple and efficient means for positively returning the carrier from its dumping position to its loading position and, to this end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

. Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved litter carrier and a portion of an overhead track wire on which the litter carrier is arranged to run; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the truck of the improved litter carrier, on an enlarged scale, some parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is a view principally in vertical section, taken on the line m m of Fig. 2, with some parts shown in full; and Fig. 4: is a detail view in section taken on the line [04 m of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates a bucket supportmg yoke to which a bucket 2, preferably of the usual form, is pivotally connected in a manner to cause said bucket to turn upside down from a filling position to a dumping position, under the action of gravity. Suitable latch mechanism, not shown, will be provided for locking the bucket 2 to the yoke 1 in an'upright position.

The bucket supporting yoke 1 is carried by a two wheeled truck arranged to run on the track wire 3, which latter is supported in an elevated position, in the usual or any suitable way, said track wire being slightly inclined upward from the starting point thereof. This two wheeled or carrying truck is made up of a pair of flanged wheels 4 and a truck frame which, as shown, is preferably made in the form of a U-shaped housing 5. J ournaled in the sides of the housing 5, is a pair of horizontally spaced axles 6 to which are keyed or otherwise secured, the wheels 4.

The yoke 1 is connected to the truck frame 5 by two laterally spaced hanger brackets 7, the upper ends of which are pivoted to the axles 6 and the lower ends of which are secured to the intermediate portion of the yoke 1.

Secured to the track wire 3, at a point where it is desired to dump the load from the bucket, is an abutment, not shown, of any suitable construction. The litter carrier is sent on its outward trip by giving the same a shove, and as the said carrier passes the abutment, 011 the track wire 3, its latch is tripped, thereby releasing the bucket 2 and permitting the same to turn upside down and dump its load.

Keyed or otherwise secured to one end of one of the axles 6, at a point outside of the housing 5, is a spur pinion 8 that meshes with a large spur gear 9. This spur. gear 9 is keyed, or otherwise secured, to a short shaft 10 journaled at its ends in one of the side plates of the housing 5, and in a plate 11 laterally spaced from the housing 5 and rigidly secured thereto by a plurality of spacing bolts 12. For returning the litter carrier from the limit of its outward travel, to its normal or loading position, a spiral spring 13 is mounted on the shaft 10 and its ends are secured one to the said shaft and the other to one of the bolts 12. During the outward travel of the litter carrier, which is in the direction of the arrow marked on Fig. 2, the spring 13 is arranged to he wound upon the shaft 10 and set under sufficient tension to positively return the litter carrier to its normal or loading position. lhe length of the spring 13 must, of course, be sufficient to permit the litter carrier to pass the abutment on the track 3, in order to dump the load before said carrier is started backward on its return trip, under the action of the set spring 18.

The above described device, while extremely simple, is thought to be highly eflicient for the purpose had in view.

What I claim is 1. In a carrier of the kind described, the combination with a truck and a bucket supported therefrom, of a spring arranged to be wound or set by movement of said carrier in one direction, and operative when set to impart return movement to said carrier.

2. In a carrier of the kind described, the combination with a truck and a bucket supported therefrom, of a pinion secured to one of the wheels of said truck, a gear meshing with said pinion, and a spring anchored in respect to said gear and the frame of said truck and arranged to be wound or set by movement of said-carrier in one direction, and operating when set to impart return movement to said carrier,

In testimony whereof I my signatur in presence of two witnesses.

OLE SLETTE.

WVitnesses:

JOHN SLETTE, L. C. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatent Washington, 1).,0. 

